Ky.editorial : McConnell's true colors

[jbfam4]

Editorial | McConnell's true colors http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20101111/OPINION01/311110017
November 11, 2010


In his new memoir, Decision Points, the former president tells of a meeting he held in September 2006 with Mr. McConnell, then the Republican whip in the Senate. The occupation of Iraq was going horribly, American and Iraqi casualties were rising sharply, costs had mushroomed into the hundreds of billions of dollars, and Iraq was teetering on the brink of full-scale sectarian civil war. Mr. McConnell was concerned, and he gave the president his advice.
But why was he concerned? It wasn't because of bloodshed, destruction, a hemorrhaging budget or a slide toward disaster. He was fearful that the morass in Iraq would cause the Republican Party to take a beating in the approaching mid-term elections. And what was his advice? He urged the president to “bring some troops home from Iraq” to lessen the political risks, Mr. Bush writes.

At the time that Sen. McConnell was privately advising Mr. Bush to reduce troop levels in Iraq, he was elsewhere excoriating congressional Democrats who had urged the same thing. “The Democrat leadership finally agrees on something — unfortunately it's retreat,” Sen. McConnell had said in a statement on Sept. 5, 2006, about a Democratic letter to Mr. Bush appealing for cuts in troop levels. Sen. McConnell, who publicly was a stout defender of the war and Mr. Bush's conduct of the conflict, accused the Democrats of advocating a position that would endanger Americans and leave Iraqis at the mercy of al-Qaida.

Unless he is prepared to call a former president of his own party a liar, Mr. McConnell has a choice. He can admit that he did not actually believe the Iraq mission was vital to American security, regardless of what he said at the time. Or he can explain why the fortunes of the Republican Party are of greater importance than the safety of the United States.

[BeFree]

1. What a leader!!

They must be proud. I hope the teabaggers take him down.

[driver8]

2. McConnell is a piece of shit.

This article does not surprise me one bit.

The Republicans using the lives of our soldiers for politics? Imagine that...

[blm]

3. McConnell is being true to form for those of us who have actually been paying attention

the last few decades.

This is absolutely no surprise.

[Zoeisright]

4. Correction.

He's a chinless, lying piece of shit.

[driver8]

6. Ha Ha! Exactly! n/t

[The Wizard]

5. Miss McConnell

is not known for veracity or ethics.

[Enthusiast]

7. There are no good Republicans.

That is the lesson for today.

[Stuart G]

8. Do you think that this point in the book and this editorial will get national attention?

K and R

[Citizen Worker]

9. Hell no!

[molly77]

12. Stuart G

If anybody would pick up on this info getting national attention it would be Rachel Maddow.

[jbfam4]

13. Check out Rachel's Friday show

Rachel covered Mitch McConnell's hypocrisy on Friday. Check this out...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/....Rachel Maddow Show

[classysassy]

10. A divided nation

More so than ever,will we stand?

[Skittles]

11. great insight into repuke psyche